Should Kids Play One Sport Year-Round?

Do you think it’s a good idea for a young athlete (8-12 years old) to play one sport year-round?  Would you allow your child?

Sport specialization, especially at a young age, is more popular/prevalent today than ever before.  Certainly, there are more opportunities for sport specialization — AAU basketball, JO volleyball, club soccer — than existed in past decades.  But, opportunity aside, I’m not sure it’s always the kids deciding to focus on a single sport at the expense of other sports and activities.  Coaches and parents put a lot of pressure on kids to concentrate on one sport, 24-7-365.

Playing multiple sports and activities helps kids develop cross-functional skills that can improve overall athletic aptitude and performance.  Conversely, intense training in a single sport before adolescence can lead to injuries, according to a review in the journal Sports Health.  Young athletes who play one sport all year typically experience more stress-related injuries, as a result of repetitive overuse without appropriate rest and recovery time.

Expose your child to other sports and activities, and encourage participation in unstructured activities (pick-up games, for example).  Encourage effort — and not only performance — especially when they are young.

If the decision to play a sport, year-round, is the desire of the child (and not just the coach and/or parent), and if the coach builds in regular breaks to allow for adequate rest and recovery… let him or her give it a try.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Should Kids Play One Sport Year-Round?

Do you think it’s a good idea for a young athlete (8-12 years old) to play one sport year round?  Would you allow your child?

Sport specialization, especially at a young age, is more popular/prevalent today than ever before.  Certainly, there are more opportunities for sport specialization — AAU basketball, JO volleyball, club soccer — than existed in past decades.  But, opportunity aside, I’m not sure it’s always the kids deciding to focus on a single sport at the expense of other sports and activities.  Coaches and parents put a lot of pressure on kids to concentrate on one sport, 24-7-365.

Playing multiple sports and activities helps kids develop cross-functional skills that can improve overall athletic aptitude and performance.  Conversely, intense training in a single sport before adolescence can lead to injuries, according to a review in the journal Sports Health.  Young athletes who play one sport all year typically experience more stress-related injuries, as a result of repetitive overuse without appropriate rest and recovery time.

Expose your child to other sports and activities, and encourage participation in unstructured activities (pick-up games, for example).  Encourage effort — and not only performance — especially when they are young.

If the decision to play a sport, year-round, is the desire of the child (and not just the coach and/or parent), and if the coach builds in regular breaks to allow for adequate rest and recovery… let him or her give it a try.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?